Heated Gutters in Columbia, SC
Using Heat Tape To Create A Heated Gutter
A heated gutter system consists of a gutter combined with self-regulating heat tape that is threaded through the gutters and downspouts beneath a gutter guard system. This heat tape generates warmth during winter weather, effectively preventing issues caused by the accumulation of snow and ice.
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Why Heated Gutters?
If you own a home in a colder climate where snow and ice accumulate on your roof, you likely face the persistent worry of ice dams forming and causing leaks. These leaks can lead to water damage that turns into a serious and stressful problem for both you and your home.
During harsh winters, homeowners may face unprecedented damage caused by ice damming, which often results in significantly higher repair costs.
During the winter months, large icicles that form and hang from the roof’s edge above walkways and driveways can pose a significant hazard. In more severe situations, the combined weight of accumulated snow and ice may cause gutters to detach from your home, leading to cracking or even complete collapse.
A highly effective method to ensure peace of mind and prevent ice dams is to install heat tape on your gutters. This heat tape consists of a cable that warms up just enough to melt snow and ice, while being safe enough to avoid causing any damage to your home.
What About Heated Tape on the Roof?
Unlike roof heat cables that lie on top of the roof and are snaked along its edge, heated gutter cables—sometimes called heat tape—are installed inside the gutters, just beneath a gutter guard system, and inside the downspouts.
This approach, combining heated gutters with heated gutter guards, effectively prevents many of the issues commonly associated with roof heat tape or heat cables.
The question often arises whether installing heat tape is truly worthwhile. The answer depends on proper installation. Various techniques exist for installing heat cables, with the zigzag pattern being the most popular. In this method, the cables form a triangular shape over the first three feet of the roof, then continue inside the gutter and downspout.
While heat tape on the roof can melt snow and ice there, it does not stop ice damming within the gutters themselves. Ice can still accumulate and clog gutters because the water flow becomes restricted.
Moreover, this installation method has been shown to cause more damage to the roof over time than having no cable at all and may even void the roof’s warranty.
Heat Tape works better inside a Gutter System
We use Weather-Ready heat tape, installing it exclusively inside the gutters and downspouts to ensure that the shingles remain unaffected and the heat tape stays protected. This approach efficiently heats only the gutters, providing both effective performance and an attractive appearance. When paired with a gutter guard, the system traps heat from the tape inside, keeping the entire gutter system warm. As snow on the roof melts, it encounters a warm gutter guard and gutter, which prevents ice and snow from accumulating in the gutters. This means your gutters handle only water, not ice. For the best results, it’s important to turn on the heat cable just before snowfall. You can learn more about how heat cables work for additional information.
Heated cable for your gutters is essential in regions that experience severe winters and heavy snowfall because it helps prevent the formation of ice dams and stops water from entering your home.
Snow Guards
Snow Guards, which should not be confused with Gutter Guards, are a valuable feature for roofs in snowy climates. They are specifically designed to prevent snow or ice from sliding off the roof all at once, which could create an avalanche effect and potentially fall onto landscaping or pedestrians below.
Ice Dams
The primary cause of ice dams is often uneven or insufficient roof insulation, which, combined with temperature fluctuations, allows snow to melt and flow down the roof. When the melted snow reaches the colder eaves, it refreezes, creating a buildup of ice at the roof’s edge or in the gutters. This accumulation traps additional ice and water above it, causing the water to back up beneath the shingles. As a result, water can seep into your attic, ceilings, and interior walls, leading to potential water damage that may require costly repairs and mold remediation.
What Causes Ice Damming?
There are a variety of reasons behind this problem. The most common reasons for ice damming are:
A lower roof pitch increases the likelihood of ice damming, and this issue is especially common near bathroom vents and chimneys due to temperature fluctuations in those areas.
Traditional roof heat cables are typically installed on top of the roof, leaving them exposed and sometimes ineffective, as ice can still form above the heat tape. This simply shifts the problem higher up the roof, where there is no protection from the drip edge or the ice and water shield. When the heat tape does melt snow, the resulting water may refreeze as it flows down toward the gutter, since gutters are usually colder than the roof itself because they are surrounded by cold air. In contrast, a heated gutter system uses gutter heat tape to warm the entire gutter, effectively preventing this refreezing issue.
Without such a system, ice tends to build up in the gutters first, which leads many people to wonder if gutters themselves are the cause of ice dams.
Why Gutter Guards are an important part of a Heated Gutter System?
Although gutter guards are designed to keep leaves and debris from clogging your gutter, they also strengthen the gutter, help protect the heat cable, and keep snow out of your gutter so it melts faster. Having the heat tape inside the gutter allows the entire gutter system to warm up, melting snow as it falls and preventing the ice buildup that can lead to water in your home or large icicles that hang from your roof or gutters. Leaving the heat cable exposed to the elements can lead to the cable becoming damaged and leaves and debris getting caught on the cable.
Are Heated Gutters Safe? What about potential fire hazards?
The Nuheat Weather-Ready heat tape installed by The Brothers that just do Gutters features a UV-resistant polyolefin outer jacket, a tinned copper braided layer, and a fire-resistant conductive core. To enhance safety, Nuheat industries mandate equipment ground-fault protection on each heating cable circuit, which helps minimize the risk of fire caused by continuous electrical arcing resulting from improper installation or damage to the cable. In certain situations, a licensed electrician may be required to make the final connection. Additionally, installing the heat cable directly on the roof’s surface can pose a potential fire hazard.
How much electricity does it use?
Your actual electrical usage will depend on the length of the cable run. The Nuheat Weather-Ready heat tape is designed to self-regulate its power output, adjusting in response to changes in ambient conditions. When the ambient temperature drops and ice or snowfall is present, the power output increases. As the temperature of the water and ice rises, the heat tape reduces its wattage and emits less heat. For more information, you can refer to the section on the cost of heated gutter systems.
Heated Gutter Demonstration
We put together a video demonstration of how a heated gutter system works. We placed piles of snow on top of the gutters so that viewers can see them melt through a time-lapse video.
For best results, your heat cable should be turned on prior to the snowstorm… so that the heated gutter will melt the snowflakes as they land. Once there is an accumulation of ice or snow, it will melt but takes more time and energy.
Note: For this simulation, we started with a mound of snow already on the gutter; during an actual snowstorm the flakes will melt as they land on the heated gutter. Be sure to visit our many blogs on this topic.
Installing Heat Tape – Using Heat Tape To Create A Heated Gutter
When installing heat tape, several important factors need to be taken into account, such as the spacing, which depends on the roof’s pitch and the length of the soffit. The heated cable is installed inside your gutters and downspouts, with the preferred approach being placement under a gutter guard. This is highly recommended because the gutter guard not only protects the cable but also helps trap heat, making the entire system more efficient and reducing the risk of ice dams.
To power the heat tape, you can connect a premade length of heat tape or a GFCI plug-in cord set to an existing outdoor outlet, which avoids the need for hardwiring. However, if there is no outdoor outlet available or if your setup makes these options impractical, it’s advisable to consult an electrician for the final power connection.
Table of Contents
Why Heated Gutters?
What about Heat Tape on the Roof?
Heat Tape works better inside a Gutter System
Snow Guards
Ice Dams
What Causes Ice Damming?
Why Gutter Guards are an important part of a Heated Gutter System?
Are Heated Gutters Safe? What about potential fire hazards?
How much electricity does it use?
Heated Gutter Demonstration
Installing Heat Tape
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